Dutch managers are often wrong in their assumptions about this or that player.
In his book Barcelona Legacy, Jonathan Wilson recalls how Louis van Gaal first met the future Barcelona legend.
“For example, during his last season at the club, Van Gaal visited the club’s former vice-president [Amador Bernabéu] at his home and met his grandson, a promising 12-year-old central defender in the Barça youth squad.
“He examined him from head to toe, and then, without warning, gave him a sharp push in the chest. The 12-year-old boy fell, to which Van Gaal looked down at him and said: “Not strong enough for a central defender.” The child was Gerard Piqué.”
In a few years, Piqué will move from La Masia to Manchester United. However, already in 2008, the Catalans brought him 21-year-old to the Camp Nou, where he became one of the best defenders in the world.
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